The Crucible Hypocrisy Theme
The theme, or subject matter, of a literary work is a very important element. This theme may attempt to teach a reader a lesson about life, such as nobility, hypocrisy, or fear. One such literary work that utilizes these themes is Arthur Millers The Crucible.
Miller wishes to show the reader that fear and suspicion are infectious and can produce a state of general hysteria that results in the destruction of public order and rationality. As soon as Betty and Ruth become unconscious and a story about dancing in the forest is revealed, the entire town of Salem goes into shock. Fear of witchcraft spreads like wildfire, and eventually several people are imprisoned and hung. Even the neighboring town of Andover is faced with a similar situation regarding witchcraft. The situation had become so bad due to the fact that enemies could be dealt with by simply …show more content…
accusing them of witchcraft. Proctor realizes this during his wifes arrest and shouts, This warrants / vengeance! Ill not give my wife to vengeance! (2.1127). Giles Corey also knows this, as he professes to Danforth, This man / is killing his neighbors for their land! (3.1138).
People who claim to be pious and virtuous may in fact be guilty of hypocrisy. This theme of the play speaks of how Abigail, although highly respected in the court, is actually a liar and guilty of adultery with John Proctor. Miller uses an allusion to the Bible, saying that in court, where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel (2.1115). This allusion shows that the majority of people thought Abigail to be almost holy, like Moses who parted the Red Sea. Yet, in reality, Abigail is no such saint. She threatens the girls to go along with her witchcraft plan, saying, I will bring a / pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you / know I can do it (1.1097). She is also guilty of premarital sex with John Proctor. Proctor feels badly about this event, and tries to make it seem as if it did not happen, yet Abigail wishes to have him again. Proctor: We never touched, Abby. / Abigail: Aye, but we did, proving that Abigail is guilty of these relations (1.1099).
Another theme of The Crucible is that it is more noble to die with integrity than it is to compromise ones principles in order to live.
For this reason, John Proctor did not confess to witchcraft to save his life, but instead died. If he were to live, he would be forced to lie and say he dealt with the devil, and falsely accuse others of the same thing. While confessing to witchcraft to Danforth, Proctor is asked whom else he saw with the devil. Proctor says, They / think to go out like / saints. I like not to spoil their namesI speak my own / sins; I cannot judge another (4.1165). Here he is shown as a noble man who would not do harm to another. Rather than cast aside his values to save his life, Proctor lived and died according to his principles. Rather than say he took part in witchcraft to keep himself alive, he held fast and denied the false charges against him. To the death, Proctor wished to have a clean name, as he shouted to the judges, I have given you my soul; leave me my name (4.1166). Proctor had admitted to lechery with Abigail, so his main sin was revealed and overshadowed by the goodness exhibited
here.
The many themes of The Crucible are drawn together as main ideas about life. Arthur Miller conveys these ideas through the actions of each character, and it can be seen that the characters mirror actions of everyday life. Such things as hysteria, hypocrisy, and fear all are timeless ideas, as true to the village of Salem in the 1600s as they are today.
The conflict is often the central action of a literary work to which all other actions respond. The main conflict of The Crucible is Abigails quest to be with John Proctor again. Her intense love for him drives the plot of the play, because Abigail will let nothing stand in her way, including death and chaos. It is this desire which causes the entire witchcraft fiasco in the village of Salem.
Before the play begins, several girls of Salem are in the forest with Tituba conjuring spirits and doing other mysterious deeds. These actions cause Betty and Ruth to fall into a deep unwakeable sleep, which starts the ideas of witchcraft to form. Betty reveals, when she awakens momentarily, that Abigail took part in the spirit conjuring as a way of getting back together with John Proctor. You drank a charm to / kill John Proctors wife, Betty charges Abigail, You drank a charm to / kill Goody Proctor! (1.1097). This angers Abigail who subsequently strikes Betty for her remark. Abigail also threatens to kill the girls if they say anything about involvement in witchcraft. This is the first evidence that Abigails intentions to be with John Proctor cannot be stopped. Abigail decides to make us of the panic and hysteria that has resulted from the witchcraft accusations. By accusing Goody Proctor of witchcraft, John will be left alone for her. Goody Proctor recognizes this is Abigails intention when she first hears that she may be accused. She wants me dead, John, you know / itShe thinks to take my place, (2.1119).
When John Proctor comes to Parriss home to see the commotion in town regarding Betty, he is confronted by Abigail. She makes many attempts to seduce him again, but he firmly denies her. Proctor: Wipe it out of / mind. We never touched, Abby. / Abigail: Aye, but we did, (1.1099). The central goal of Abigail to be with Proctor is not going to be simple, she learns, because she and Proctor no longer have a mutual feeling of love.
In the courtroom, when Giles Corey and Proctor enter with evidence to show the girls have been lying, and the witchcraft accusations are scandalous, Abigail and Proctor face each other again. Proctor reveals his affair with Abigail in order to make the judges think less of her, as he yells, It is a whoreI have known her, (3.1145). However, Judge Danforth questions Goody Proctor, who does not admit to John Proctors adultery. Although she merely tried to keep his good name, it now makes Proctor seem to be a liar. Knowing that Abigail has truly lost Proctor, she enacts another scheme of seeing spirits. Mary Warren, commanded by Abigail, accuses Proctor of being with the devil. This dooms Proctor to death, lest he confess to witchcraft. Abigail decided with this action, that if she cannot be with Proctor, he cannot be left alive.
The plot of The Crucible all surrounds Abigails quest to be with John Proctor again. After their affair ended, she longed for nothing more but to be with him again. Her twisted powers of manipulation allowed her to control the entire Salem village and put it into a disorder which she hoped would advance her journey to Proctor.
Miller wishes to show the reader that fear and suspicion are infectious and can produce a state of general hysteria that results in the destruction of public order and rationality. As soon as Betty and Ruth become unconscious and a story about dancing in the forest is revealed, the entire town of Salem goes into shock. Fear of witchcraft spreads like wildfire, and eventually several people are imprisoned and hung. Even the neighboring town of Andover is faced with a similar situation regarding witchcraft. The situation had become so bad due to the fact that enemies could be dealt with by simply …show more content…
accusing them of witchcraft. Proctor realizes this during his wifes arrest and shouts, This warrants / vengeance! Ill not give my wife to vengeance! (2.1127). Giles Corey also knows this, as he professes to Danforth, This man / is killing his neighbors for their land! (3.1138).
People who claim to be pious and virtuous may in fact be guilty of hypocrisy. This theme of the play speaks of how Abigail, although highly respected in the court, is actually a liar and guilty of adultery with John Proctor. Miller uses an allusion to the Bible, saying that in court, where she walks the crowd will part like the sea for Israel (2.1115). This allusion shows that the majority of people thought Abigail to be almost holy, like Moses who parted the Red Sea. Yet, in reality, Abigail is no such saint. She threatens the girls to go along with her witchcraft plan, saying, I will bring a / pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you / know I can do it (1.1097). She is also guilty of premarital sex with John Proctor. Proctor feels badly about this event, and tries to make it seem as if it did not happen, yet Abigail wishes to have him again. Proctor: We never touched, Abby. / Abigail: Aye, but we did, proving that Abigail is guilty of these relations (1.1099).
Another theme of The Crucible is that it is more noble to die with integrity than it is to compromise ones principles in order to live.
For this reason, John Proctor did not confess to witchcraft to save his life, but instead died. If he were to live, he would be forced to lie and say he dealt with the devil, and falsely accuse others of the same thing. While confessing to witchcraft to Danforth, Proctor is asked whom else he saw with the devil. Proctor says, They / think to go out like / saints. I like not to spoil their namesI speak my own / sins; I cannot judge another (4.1165). Here he is shown as a noble man who would not do harm to another. Rather than cast aside his values to save his life, Proctor lived and died according to his principles. Rather than say he took part in witchcraft to keep himself alive, he held fast and denied the false charges against him. To the death, Proctor wished to have a clean name, as he shouted to the judges, I have given you my soul; leave me my name (4.1166). Proctor had admitted to lechery with Abigail, so his main sin was revealed and overshadowed by the goodness exhibited
here.
The many themes of The Crucible are drawn together as main ideas about life. Arthur Miller conveys these ideas through the actions of each character, and it can be seen that the characters mirror actions of everyday life. Such things as hysteria, hypocrisy, and fear all are timeless ideas, as true to the village of Salem in the 1600s as they are today.
The conflict is often the central action of a literary work to which all other actions respond. The main conflict of The Crucible is Abigails quest to be with John Proctor again. Her intense love for him drives the plot of the play, because Abigail will let nothing stand in her way, including death and chaos. It is this desire which causes the entire witchcraft fiasco in the village of Salem.
Before the play begins, several girls of Salem are in the forest with Tituba conjuring spirits and doing other mysterious deeds. These actions cause Betty and Ruth to fall into a deep unwakeable sleep, which starts the ideas of witchcraft to form. Betty reveals, when she awakens momentarily, that Abigail took part in the spirit conjuring as a way of getting back together with John Proctor. You drank a charm to / kill John Proctors wife, Betty charges Abigail, You drank a charm to / kill Goody Proctor! (1.1097). This angers Abigail who subsequently strikes Betty for her remark. Abigail also threatens to kill the girls if they say anything about involvement in witchcraft. This is the first evidence that Abigails intentions to be with John Proctor cannot be stopped. Abigail decides to make us of the panic and hysteria that has resulted from the witchcraft accusations. By accusing Goody Proctor of witchcraft, John will be left alone for her. Goody Proctor recognizes this is Abigails intention when she first hears that she may be accused. She wants me dead, John, you know / itShe thinks to take my place, (2.1119).
When John Proctor comes to Parriss home to see the commotion in town regarding Betty, he is confronted by Abigail. She makes many attempts to seduce him again, but he firmly denies her. Proctor: Wipe it out of / mind. We never touched, Abby. / Abigail: Aye, but we did, (1.1099). The central goal of Abigail to be with Proctor is not going to be simple, she learns, because she and Proctor no longer have a mutual feeling of love.
In the courtroom, when Giles Corey and Proctor enter with evidence to show the girls have been lying, and the witchcraft accusations are scandalous, Abigail and Proctor face each other again. Proctor reveals his affair with Abigail in order to make the judges think less of her, as he yells, It is a whoreI have known her, (3.1145). However, Judge Danforth questions Goody Proctor, who does not admit to John Proctors adultery. Although she merely tried to keep his good name, it now makes Proctor seem to be a liar. Knowing that Abigail has truly lost Proctor, she enacts another scheme of seeing spirits. Mary Warren, commanded by Abigail, accuses Proctor of being with the devil. This dooms Proctor to death, lest he confess to witchcraft. Abigail decided with this action, that if she cannot be with Proctor, he cannot be left alive.
The plot of The Crucible all surrounds Abigails quest to be with John Proctor again. After their affair ended, she longed for nothing more but to be with him again. Her twisted powers of manipulation allowed her to control the entire Salem village and put it into a disorder which she hoped would advance her journey to Proctor.